The Conservative movement in Israel led a fake campaign on Israeli streets in the name of Gedolei Yisrael to convince Chareidim not to vote in the elections for the World Zionist Organization, spending tens of thousands of shekels to print and distribute pashkevilim against participating in the elections, a Kikar Shabbat investigation revealed.
As many YWN readers know, a machlokes broke out last month in the Chareidi sector about whether to participate in the WZO elections. Members of the Eretz HaKodesh party presented the support of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky zt’l, along with other Rabbanim in Israel and the United States who supported voting in the previous election. However, ultimately, the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America and HaGaon HaRav Dov Landua paskened that it is forbidden to participate in the election.
Several weeks ago, pashkevilim appeared in Chareidi neighborhoods in the name of HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau calling out against participating in the elections – an unusual move since most Israeli Chareidim were unaware of the details of the issue. The Kikar investigation revealed that Dr. Yizhar Hess, a member of the Conservative movement, who serves on its behalf as Deputy Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, spearheaded the campaign to try to convince Chareidim in Israel not to vote in the elections, printing and disseminating the fake pashkevilim.
An invoice obtained by Kikar showed that Mercaz Olami transferred tens of thousands of shekels to fund the printing and distribution of the pashkevilim..
A Charedi source in the WZO told Kikar that “although they tried in every way to conceal their involvement, the Eretz HaKodesh party, which represents the Torah-observant sector in the WZO, is a political and ideological enemy for them, and they are trying to reduce its power. People from the Conservative movement tried to influence public opinion in the Charedi community in order to harm Eretz HaKodesh and prevent it from succeeding in the elections.”
In a twisted move, Dr. Hess even tweeted a photo of the pashkevilim on the Chareidi streets that he himself funded, ostensibly to express his solidarity with his “friends” in Eretz Hakodesh who were being attacked.
Beyond the moral aspect, the conduct of the Conservative movement raises legal and ethical questions. A senior legal source involved in the details told Kikar that “the distributors of the pashvekelim may be exposed to libel suits, and if indeed elements related to the movement running in the elections are behind them, this may be considered a violation of election laws. Furthermore, the distribution of anti-Zionist material by an association supported by the WZO may be a violation of its budgetary regulations.”
The Kikar investigation also revealed that the pashkevilim are only the latest step in the Conservative movement’s years-long campaign to influence the Chareidi sector against Eretz Hakodesh, including attempts to convince Chareidi journalists to convey messages against voting in the elections, ostensibly in the name of Gedolei Yisrael.
Needless to say, most of the journalists and media personalities who received the financially lucrative offers refused to join the campaign after it became clear to them who was behind the offer.
“Some time ago, a well-known figure from the Chareidi scene approached me, and indirectly and subtly offered me an opportunity to join a campaign in exchange for a very high salary,” a senior Chareidi journalist told Kikar. “The essence of the campaign was to harm the Eretz HaKodesh organization and lead public opinion in the Chareidi community against them through advertisements, news items in the press, and messages through social networks like Twitter, etc. The campaign’s strategy was to influence public opinion that the organization is working to introduce Zionism to the Charedi sector and to fuel the opposition of the extremist factions against Eretz HaKodesh.”
“After a more thorough investigation, I realized that the campaign in question was being conducted entirely for the Conservative Movement, whose goal is to remove Eretz HaKodesh, which is preventing it from realizing its plans here in Israel, and as a result, I informed that source that I could not take part in advising the campaign. I know they approached other Chareidi journalists as well.”
Another well-known figure told Kikar that powerful figures in the general media are involved in managing the campaign and recruiting key people in the Chareidi media to join it.
“Several years ago, a large PR firm wrote an open check for any Charedi publicist who would agree to join the campaign and lead it for them in the Chareidi sector,” he said. “They used key figures in the general media world who harnessed all their business and professional connections to enlist Chareidi figures in a long-term campaign to defame Eretz HaKodesh.”
Kikar Hashabbat asked the World Center of the Conservative Movement for comment, as well as Yizhar Hess (who refused to comment in a personal conversation with him), and Eretz HaKodesh, but no response has been received so far.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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20 Responses
When you find Rav Ahron Feldman and Rav Dov Landau on the same side as the conservative movement, that tells you all you need to know.
If you are in that game , what makes the pashkevillin fake? In politics it’s a smart move!! Lemaseh that’s what rav landau said
If true, this raises serious legal concerns:
1- Election violations – Misleading campaigns during WZO elections may breach transparency and fair conduct rules.
2- Defamation – Falsely attributing rabbinic statements could be grounds for libel under Israeli law.
3- Misuse of WZO funds – If funds meant for outreach were used to sabotage another party, this may require audit or sanctions.
4- Religious fraud – Faking rabbinic endorsements could fall under fraudulent misrepresentation.
Eretz HaKodesh or affected rabbanim may have grounds for legal and organizational action.
You Charedim have them the ammo they wanted. This is the point of the EHK slate. Mizrachi won’t fight them the only slate that would is them, but your black and white Zionist viewpoint has blinded you.
You must vote. We need the money for yeshivas. We could not raise hundred million dollars so why neglect getting a billion dollars
Mathematically if all the religious anti voters would simply start voting they are hands down the clear largest group and ruling party in Israel. It is the blind refusal to confront and accept the miracle Hashem has done with the return to the Holy Land after all these years that is the main reason the Secular still rule Israel.
From those who follow Rabbi Landua or Rabbi Feldman on this issue do you have an issue with this? If yes, why? Does this not accurately represent their view and advance their goals and objectives in relation to this issues?
Very nice comments; BUT OUR GEDOLIM STILL KNOW BETTER!!
So is anyone disqualifying the cheating fraud party or nah it continues like nothing happened. And they want me to vote now? Yeah right
This ploy makes no sense. The vast vast majority of Israeli Charedim can’t vote in the WZO elections…why would they spend so much money for no reason.
@Duvudf
Exactly. Why do you think chareidim want to control Israel?
We dont.
Cuz thats what we promised Hashem!
@Chareidi Amiti
It might tell you all you need to know. Because you dont need to know much to be good at what your doing, namely, acting the fool.
@Heimisheh Guy
While financial support is crucial for any endeavor on this earth, as such as was designed by Hashem. That does in no way mean all forms of securing such are ok.
That was the opinion of the esteemed aforementioned Rabbanim.
Your Rabbi may hold differently, and that may be ok, but there are other legitimate opinions.
@Smerel
As someone who takes guidance from Rabbi Feldman shlit”a I laughed when i saw this. Because it bolstered the view that I shared.
That said, it is a despicable act of subterfuge and dishonesty that is an opportunity to show our adversaries as exactly what they are.
Shamefully deceitful individuals who will easily defy their own professed morality for self aggrandizement.
Davidthekanoi, I think you meant to write “our gedolim still know better than your gedolim”. Not all gedolim are in agreement on this, as anyone who is following this issue knows well.
Common sense is to vote to get the two billion dollars for yeshivas. When Rabbi Miller was asked how we can take money from non Jews he said. We are taking so much from them anyway we might as well take their money. Yeshivas in Israel tried to raise a hundred million dollars and fell short. Now you can get two billion dollars and not have to collect from American Jews who are struggling to pay their own yeshivas. Go vote and get the get two billion.
Chash, you unfortunately have fallen prey to a new false edition of the Torah. The only thing we promised Hashem is to keep all 613 mitzvos without exception any alleged promise to nullify a mitzva is a shevua levatel es hamitzva…. There is a mitzva to conquer and settle Eretz Yisroel whether you like it or not. The Sefer Hachinuch counts rebuilding the Beis Hamikdash as one of the 613 commandments, he writes the commandment is binding when most of Klal Yisroel lives on their land. Acc. to the official numbers of Jews in the world today we are pretty close if not their already.
hakatans real name is rabbit shirley goldenberg
Why would anyone post Pashkevilim in Hebrew in Israel telling people not to vote in an election that only residents of the US can vote in the first place?
“As many YWN readers know, a machlokes broke out last month in the Chareidi sector about whether to participate in the WZO elections. Members of the Eretz HaKodesh party presented the support of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky zt’l, along with other Rabbanim in Israel and the United States who supported voting in the previous election. However, ultimately, the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America and HaGaon HaRav Dov Landua paskened that it is forbidden to participate in the election.”
This is false and misleading. Eretz HaKodesh did not “present” anything other than lies and nonsense. No written teshuva from Rav Chaim, etc. It was not a “machlokes in the Chareidi sector”. No Torah authority (including Rav Chaim) has ever permitted this abomination of voting in the WZO – unless they (mistakenly) based themselves on lies from Eretz HaKodesh or the like.
As well, as Rav Feldman pointed out multiple times, the supposed heter (verbally claimed) from Rav Chaim five years ago was a “horaas shaah” to prevent Klal Yisrael from CH”V disappearing, not a casual reversal of the universal prohibition against this abomination by even Rav Elyashiv against even the Shas party of the Israeli government.
HaKatan, to summerize the argument you presnt from Rav Feldman:
Firstly, R’ CHaim gave only a horaas shaah.
Secondly, R’ CHaim never said anything.
Thirdly, R’ Chaim who?
Like, when I ask the guy for the hundred dollars he owes me:
FIrstly, it was fifty not a hundred.
Secondly, I already paid you back.
Thirdly, I never borrowed any money from you.
Eretz Kodesh has absolutely NO legal grounds to sue for any interference in the elections since:
1. These Gedoilim INDEED paskened that it OSSUR to lehischaber im horeshoyim and participate in elections run by the World Zionist Organization. This is Daas Torah and Lo Sosur.
2. Anyone who lives in Eretz Yisroel is absolutely prohibited from participating in these elections YET it is no secret that many EY residents do so by lying as part of the voting process so any legal action taken against the publishers of these pashkevilim will also need to look into all of the illegal votes casted by those living in EY which these pashkevilim are targeting. These Conservative Jews may be reshoyim but they (or their lawyers) are also very smart.
Rebbetzin:
Not a very good summary. Let’s try again:
1. The truth is that Rav Chaim obviously never permitted this abomination.
2. Even according to the claim that Rav Chaim verbally permitted it, that claim five years ago was that he did so as a “horaas shaah”.
3. The video of Rav Chaim supposedly permitting it is a sad joke in multiple ways.